LOS ANGELES: British actor Lenny Rush has joined HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” television series as Dobby, while Bonnie Hill will replace Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley in the second season of the adaptation.
HBO also announced the casting of Billy Barratt as Tom Riddle, the younger version of Lord Voldemort, the dark wizard who becomes Harry Potter’s greatest adversary, Variety reported.
The character will feature in the second season, which will be based on “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”.
Hill takes over the role of Ginny Weasley after Cochrane, who portrays the character in the first season, exited the series due to unforeseen circumstances.
Rush’s Dobby, who will also feature in the second season, is the loyal and mistreated house-elf who becomes an important ally to Harry in J K Rowling’s wizarding world.
The actor is known for his work in the British comedy series “Am I Being Unreasonable?” and the Apple TV series “The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin”.
The first season of the “Harry Potter” series has wrapped production and is scheduled to premiere on HBO on December 25.
The second season is already in pre-production at Leavesden Studios outside London.
The new series is a fresh adaptation of J K Rowling’s globally popular seven-book fantasy saga, which was previously adapted into an eight-film franchise starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.
Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry Potter in the series, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
The ensemble also includes John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Professor Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom and Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy.
The story follows Harry, an orphan who discovers on his 11th birthday that he is a wizard and is admitted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
At the school, he enters a world of magic, friendship and adventure while gradually discovering his connection with the darkest wizard of all.
The series is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner.
Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes.
Produced for HBO in association with Bronte Film and TV and Warner Bros Television, the show also counts Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Bronte Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films among its executive producers.